Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Jiamusi

For one person, living is cheaper in Jiamusi: $718 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Jiamusi
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Jiamusi Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Jiamusi

🇨🇳 China

$718

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Jiamusi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Seoul and in Jiamusi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Seoul vs $718 in Jiamusi, rent included.

Seoul $1,794
Jiamusi $718

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Seoul vs $1,134 in Jiamusi, rent included.

Seoul $2,863
Jiamusi $1,134

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Seoul vs $1,550 in Jiamusi, rent included.

Seoul $3,931
Jiamusi $1,550

Seoul costs about 150% more than Jiamusi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 33% above the global median, while Jiamusi is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$2.76 ¥18.44

218.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$21.28 ¥142

221.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$4.83 ¥32.26

56.11%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$3.03 ¥20.27

39.60%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.43 ¥2.87

279.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.29 ¥1.95

155.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$0.88 ¥5.91

313.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$2.04 ¥13.67

201.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.81 ¥12.09

11.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.55 ¥10.33

101.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$0.94 ¥6.29

359.57%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.54 ¥10.27

134.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$12.99 ¥86.9

37.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$3.21 ¥21.48

225.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$10.32 ¥69.0

150.00%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$1.86 ¥12.41

311.83%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$1.25 ¥8.36

170.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$1.54 ¥10.28

277.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.13 ¥7.57

467.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$0.70 ¥4.71

435.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$0.92 ¥6.13

176.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.60 ¥4.04

373.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.52 ¥3.44

113.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.18 ¥21.24

5.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$10.59 ¥70.8

74.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$0.80 ¥5.34

200.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.60 ¥10.70

110.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.29 ¥1.95

293.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$16.97 ¥113

171.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$1.42 ¥9.51

145.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.33 ¥2.20

90.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$6.81 ¥45.56

30.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.17 ¥7.80

29.06%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$19.4K ¥129.5K

51.17%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$17.0K ¥113.3K

66.42%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$218 ₩289.2K

$45.60 ¥305

377.02%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$9.70 ¥64.9

262.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$11.79 ¥78.8

80.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$41.75 ¥279

39.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$13.96 ¥93.3

15.33%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$6.01 ¥40.19

88.19%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$329 ¥2,202

491.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$16.9K ¥113.1K

35.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$44.13 ¥295

29.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$30.89 ¥207

8.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$70.6 ¥472

1.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$70.6 ¥472

16.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$278 ¥1,860

223.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$195 ¥1,305

213.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$600 ¥4,009

321.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$360 ¥2,408

251.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$3,015 ¥20.2K

875.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$2,059 ¥13.8K

478.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.89

4.88%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Jiamusi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Jiamusi

$195 27.2% 68.1% $417

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Jiamusi

$199 27.7% 58.3% $278

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Jiamusi

$67 9.4% 75.5% $207

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Jiamusi

$84 11.8% 54.1% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Jiamusi

$97 13.6% 11.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Jiamusi

$54 7.5% 33.3% $27

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Jiamusi

$21 3% 63% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $278 in Jiamusi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Seoul versus $21.00 in Jiamusi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $199 – making Jiamusi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇨🇳 Jiamusi

🕒 Local time

09:31 9:31 AM

08:31 8:31 AM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

2,156,505

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Jiamusi 1,060 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
Jiamusi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Seoul vs Jiamusi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 150%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $1,077 in Jiamusi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jiamusi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,948 per month in Seoul and $329 in Jiamusi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 140% more in Seoul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jiamusi, where all-in costs run around $718, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Jiamusi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jiamusi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Jiamusi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.